It’s the mid-1920s and the awfulness of World War I is behind humanity, but there is plenty of danger and adventure to be found at the Mena House Hotel in Cairo. It’s an upscale destination for travellers from around the world, and Jane Wunderly is there as a guest of her late husband’s Aunt Millie, who is determined to find a new romance for Jane. Jane is resolute to avoid any entanglements, enjoy the holiday and check out the pyramids. But when she meets the enigmatic banker Redvers, Jane can’t help but be intrigued.

The Mena House Hotel is filled with a wide range of characters–a socialite who demands the spotlight, her retired military father, a creepy playboy who courts wealthy women, a young couple who befriend Jane, and hotel staff and local villagers…and everyone has his or her own secrets.

When Jane finds herself standing over the body of one of the guests, she’s suddenly defending her innocence as she tries to discover who committed the murder before she loses her freedom. Who can she trust? Who is willing to frame her for a murder she didn’t commit?

Ms. Neubauer has created a cast of characters who are intriguing and a mystery that has enough twists and turns to keep the reader wondering, as she draws you into the glittering world of the Roaring Twenties.

4 stars